Quarter-saver for circular-knitting machines



(N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. A DIXON. QUARTER SAVER FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES. No. 584,859.Patented June 22, 1897.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. A DIXON. QUARTER SAVER FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES. No. 584,859.Patenmted June 22,1897.

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. the tubular shell 23a of the stand` 23 and isl 1 Nrrnn STATES iRICHARD ADDISON DIXON, OF BENNINGTON, VERMONT.

QUARTER-SAVER FOR `CIRGULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming partA of Letters Patent No. 584,859, dated June22, 189'?.

Application filed January 14, 1895. Serial No. 534,761. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD ADDISON DIXON, of the village of Bennington,in the county of Bennington and State of Vermont, have invented certainImprovements in Quarter-Savers for Circular-Knitting Machines, ofwhichinvention the subjoined description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, constitutes a specification. l

The invention is embodied in special devices for throwing out of actionthe presserwheel of a circular-knitting machine in which spring-needlesare used whenever the feedthread breaks or runs out, and in connectiontherewith means for regulating the length of the broken end of yarn leftadhering to the fabric, or, in oth er words, means for so timing thestoppage of the machine with reference to the break that the broken endshall not all be knit into the body of the fabric beforethepresser-wheel is Withdrawn from action on the barbs of the needleswhen there is no thread running in to preserve the integrity of thefabric.

The invention is fully shown in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aside view of a presser-stand presser-wheel with my invention attached.Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is an inside end elevation of thesame parts.

In the illustrations I have not shown the stand which carries thebur-wheel, as this part of the mechanism does not differ materially fromthose in common use. The presserwheel 22, which in use bears against thebarbs `of the needles 31, is mounted in the usual way on stud 21, whichis carried in the socket 2O of the slide 18. This slide is carried inthreaded at its outer end to receive the adjusting-nut 17 and thecheck-nut 28. By means of these two nuts the contact between thepresser-wheel and the barbs of the needles is adjusted. Such contact ismaintained by means of the spring 19, which surrounds slide 1S, theexpansive force of which is normally exerted to crowd thepresser-wheelagainst the needles. A rotatable cam 12, which is carried on therock-shaft 11, which is journaled in bearings la t of stand 4, isadjusted to force backwardly the slide 18 by impinging against the nut17. An arm 13 projects from this rock-shaft, to the end of which theretractile spring 15is attached, the

other end being attached to some fixed part of the apparatus, as at 16.The function of this spring is to throw over the eccentriccam 12, andthus force the presser back out of contact with the needles. alsoattached to the rock-shaft 11, the f ree end of which is adapted to belockeddown by the latch 7 which carries the adjustable catch-plate 9.Latch 7 is pivoted in bearings 4:0 of the stand 4, and its free end isadapted to be locked or secured by the catch-plate 5, which is anadjunct of the rock-shaft 2, which is journaled in the bearings 4b. Thecatchplate 5 has an elongated slot through which the adjusting-screw 6passes and takes into the rock-shaft. By means of this slot `and screwthe lower end of the catch-plate 5 may be set any desired distance overor back from the end of the latch 7. This feature of adjustability,located at this cooperative point,is relied on topredeterminehow much drop the drop-wire 1 must have before the engagingend of catch-plate 5 will be thrown up high enough to allow the end oflatch 7 to escape and release the spring 15, so thatit can act t0 throwoff the presser.

The drop-wire 1, connected with rock-shaft 2, terminates in a hook l,which is adapted to ride on the feed-thread when the knitting isprogressing properly. This drop-wire is located outside of the mainstand 23, whereas heretofore it has been located between the inside ofthe stand and the feed-bur. By placing it in the position shown thedistance from its bearing on the yarn and the point where it is caughtby the bur-wheel and fed to the A setting-lever 10 is needles ismaterially augmented,so that in machines running at highspeed there isvastly less opportunity for the end to be knit into the fabric and theneXt under course of stitches being cast off the needles. If thefeed-thread breaks or runs out, it releases the drop-wire, which fallsand by rotating rock-shaft 2 releases catch-plate 5 from its engagementwith latch 7, and thus permits spring 15 to throw off the presser fromthe needles.

It is obvious that to promptly stop the machine before the broken end ofthe feed-thread has been knit into the fabric the amount of overlap ofthe catch-plate 5 over the end of IOO latch 7 should be the smallestpossible, for the farther the end of the drop-Wire has to tall torelease the stopping devices the nearer the end of the fecd-thread willbe to being knit into the fabric and the greater Will be the liabilityof the presser to press off the work from the needles.

' I therefore claim as my invention and desire to secure by LettersPatent- 1. The combination With the needles and presser-wheel of thedescribed drop-Wire, @rock-shaft to which it is attached, catch-plate,latch, rocking cam-shaft, the presserWheel slide equipped with thepresser-Wheel, retracting cam and means connected with said cam-shaftfor engaging with lthe latch and for actuating the cam, all constructedand arranged to operate substantially in the manner described and forthe purpose set forth.

2.' The described means for timing the action of the mechanism providedfor throwing the presser-Wheel back ont of action, With reference to thefailure of the feed-thread, which consists of the catch-plate providedwith the elongated slot and setscrew connected with the drop-Wire, thelatch, and the devices for throwing out of action the presser-wheel,cour bined and arranged to operate substantially as specilied.

3. The combination with the presser-Wheel of a circular-knitting machineand means connected With it for holdin g it to its Work, against thebarbs of the needles While the knitting is proceeding properly, of acam-lever attached to the presserstand for forcing the presser- Wheelout of contact With the needles, a spring for actuating said cam-lever,devices between the cam-lever and the dropWire to control the former,and a drop-Wire under Which the feedthread runs and which is supportedin an elevated but inoperative position by said thread and is adapted torelease said devices by its act of falling in response to a break in thefeed-thread, constructed and arranged to operate substantially in themanner described and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereto subscribed my name, at Bennington, inthe State of Vermont, this 20th day of September, A. D. 1893.

RICHARD ADDISON DIXON.

In presence of- HERBERT A. DIXON, FRANKLIN SCOTT.

